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Maybe there wasn't any new story or maybe it was just too hard to keep around a character whose very existence was medically impossible. Whatever the reason, All My Children has opted to take Colin Egglesfield (Joshua Madden) off contract. The actor took over the role in September 2005.

Colin Egglesfield (Josh Madden) has been dropped to recurring status with All My Children. The actor, who has seen little in the way of storyline in recent months, joined the show in September 2005.

Egglesfield assumed the role of Joshua Madden from Scott Kinworthy, who had only been with All My Children for three months when he was replaced. The show cited "storyline reasons" for Kinworthy's dismissal, though most savvy viewers knew that the show was more than likely planning a major overhaul of the character.

Indeed, AMC's writing team had some changes in mind, but no one could have known the tectonic shift that those changes would bring to Pine Valley. In 1973, Erica Kane had the first legal abortion on daytime television. At the time -- and even still today, the plot was extremely controversial. 33 years later, in 2006, then-head writer Megan McTavish decided to rewrite AMC history and undo that groundbreaking abortion. According to the storyline, instead of aborting Erica's unborn child, morally challenged Dr. Greg Madden took the embryo out of Erica's womb and implanted it into his wife. Though the procedure is medically impossible, it didn't stop the show from moving forward with the storyline and, at the same time, giving Erica a son.

The fallout from the unabortion played out on All My Children for several months, but shortly afterward Joshua's storyline dried up. He was seen recently having a one-night stand with Greenlee Smythe.

Egglesfield will last air on September 9th, but will remain with the show on as-needed, recurring basis, according to a show spokesperson.